Mattel's own Scott Neitlich (aka "Toyguru") had a chance to answer another batch of questions for us.

TNI: Overall fan reaction to the first two waves of 6” DC Classics figures seems fairly positive. However, some people have expressed concern that they will have trouble finding the variants. What ratio can we expect to see these variants packed in?

Scott: We are keeping that info tight under wraps. These are chase figures after all. They will be easier to get then the clear Man-Bat at Comic Con however. I can tell you that the Superman Red and Superman Blue in Wave 2 is a 50/50 split. This is not a chase figure but rather a variant.

TNI: There was a Batman figure in wave 1 and a Superman figure in wave 2. Can we expect to see a different version for these two characters to show up in every wave of DC Classics?

Scott: Both Batman and Superman are important icons to the DC Universe. While they will not be in every single wave, you can expect to see variants of these heavy hitters where and when appropriate. When we do a Superman or Batman in this line expect it to be an all new and different version of the character and one fan’s have been asking for. (not just a repaint)

TNI: We have heard that you could not release a JLU Hal Jordon figure at general retail due to a clause in your contract with Warner Bros. Now that you have the DC Universe Master license, has that changed? Or are you still forbidden to make that character for the JLU line? If so, can you tell us why?

Scott: We do not have access to doing Hal in the JLU line due to the special gift we created for Warner Brothers in 2006. We understand there is demand for this figure but some things (unfortunately) remain out of our control.

TNI: You showed off a rather cool-looking Masters of the Universe prototype figure at the San Diego Comic Convention, and news of a pending Masters of the Universe movie in the works continues to grow. How long must MOTU fans suffer before we hear some concrete word on what the future of this brand holds?

Scott: MOTU fans will continue to suffer as long as the evil Skelator has control of the Ram Stone.

Okay, just kidding. We know fans have high expectations for MOTU product and as soon as we have news to announce know we will do so with all the Power of Grayskull behind us. Everyone at Mattel is very excited about the future of MOTU and we want to give fans product that is of the highest quality. Good product does take time. Patients will be rewarded.

TNI: At SDCC, you mentioned that you would soon be announcing another big Warner Bros.-based toy license for Mattel. That same weekend, it was announced by Warner Bros. that they had a Thundercats movie in the works. Can you tell us if there is any kind of connection between the two?

Scott: There are no current plans for a Thundercats line from Mattel at this time. If this changes in the future our fans will be informed.

There you have it for this week. Be sure to check back on September 15th for another round of Questions and Answers from Mattel.

Q2. Why wasn't the original sculpt of Wonder Woman released with the 5 POA original members in the TRU box set?

A: It is always a toss up with half of our fans wanting the new POA figures and half wanting the originals. As we move forward with new product ideas we’ll be sure to balance this out between the old and new tool’d versions. You’ll see on our Strength in Numbers posters from Comic Con that we did use the original POA versions so we are aware of fan interest in them

I don't like the idea of them having 'chase' variants when the entire current line is chase. I think that Mattel should work out distribution making all of the figures available and leave it at that, but this way it seems like fans will always have to resort to paying higher prices for figures that should be found at retail.

I'm unimpressed with the answer concerning chases. If I can't get classic versions of characters I want, then I just won't collect the line. Hopefully mattel's "collector friendly" approach will deliver, but due to the cryptic answer, I'm not holding my breath for an easy to find classic Firestorm.

A chase isn't the way I'd like it to go. That said, it's too extreme to "Not collect the line" just b/c one character or two might be tough to track down. We don't know how difficult it will be, but you can't let one figure ruin the other great ones. For me, it's about DC, not toy politics.

However, it's wrong if not everyone who wants Classic Firestorm can't have him. If they're not making enough for the fans, then it's a problem. If it's just a matter of hunting, that part of the 'biz....

I don't like the idea of them having 'chase' variants when the entire current line is chase. I think that Mattel should work out distribution making all of the figures available and leave it at that, but this way it seems like fans will always have to resort to paying higher prices for figures that should be found at retail.

There have been "chase" or "shortpacked" figures for a LONG time in the industry. It's just part of the hobby, and it's not going to be stopping anytime soon.

I don't like the idea of them having 'chase' variants when the entire current line is chase. I think that Mattel should work out distribution making all of the figures available and leave it at that, but this way it seems like fans will always have to resort to paying higher prices for figures that should be found at retail.

Past the Lex Luthor Wave I thought they were ALL "CHASE" pieces????Seriously,I don't think making these any HARDER too find is the answer.I thought they were supposed to be working on distribution????????????I swear I'm tired of looking for Two-Face. If Mattel sold all its productin this line to Wal-Mart,and cancelled the distribution to the online retailers,then why in the name of GOD are they not putting them out???Nary-a-Wal-Mart in my area even has SPACE for any DC product..........the 8th Ring of Action Figure Hell = Maryland.the Man-Bat1

TNI: We have heard that you could not release a JLU Hal Jordon figure at general retail due to a clause in your contract with Warner Bros. Now that you have the DC Universe Master license, has that changed? Or are you still forbidden to make that character for the JLU line? If so, can you tell us why?

Scott: We do not have access to doing Hal in the JLU line due to the special gift we created for Warner Brothers in 2006. We understand there is demand for this figure but some things (unfortunately) remain out of our control.

So, they pretty much shot themselves in the foot with this one, at least that means that there's at least 1 custom that's safe to make without havng to worry about them coming out with an offical release.